Telephone handset cap tool having a pair of handles and a cup-shaped insert therein



May 9, 1967 w. J. CRUMP 3,318,177

TELEPHONE HANDSET CAP TOOL HAVING A PAIR OF HANDLES AND A CUP-SHAPED INSERT THEREIN Filed oct. 22, 1965 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,318,177 TELEPHONE HANDSET CAP TGOL HAVING A PAIR OF HANDLES AND A CUP-SHAPED IN- SERT THEREIN Woodford J. Crump, South Gate, Calif., assignor to Air- ,craft Tools Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of i California Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 502,243 Claims. (Cl. 81-300) This invention relates to a tool or wrench for removing caps and more particularly to a novel hand tool for removing a cap from modern handsets such as telephone handsets.

In various instances it is desirable to sufficiently tighten the caps of telephone handsets to prevent the unauthorized removal thereof, and thus prevent the removal of the internal components of the handsets. Wrenches have been provided in the past for tightening and loosening the caps of telephone handsets. Typically, these wrenches have included a pair of handles aiiixed to respective ends of a strap. The strap is placed about the cap, and the handles are pressed together causing the strap to tightly grip the periphery of the cap enabling the cap to be easily rotated for loosening or tightening the same. Present day telephone handsets, sometimes referred to as the 500 type have a smooth and tapered periphery effectively in the shape of a truncated cone. Although these caps can be tightened or loosened with a strap type wrench, it is rather diiiicult and awkward because the strap tends to ride olf of the periphery of the cap.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved cap tool.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel cap wrench for handsets.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a relatively simple and easy to use cap Wrench for telephone type handsets.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the teachings of the present invention, a cap wrench is provided including a pair of handles having arcuate portions for exerting force about a resilient cup-shaped insert. The interior of the insert is tapered, and the in sert includes a central aperture and a radial slit extending therefrom. The insert is placed over the cap, and as the handles are pressed together the insert grips the periphery of the cap thereby enabling it to be turned.

lOther objects and features of this invention will become more apparent through a detailed consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a cap wrench according to the present invention arranged on the cap of a telephone type handset;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom view of the wrench shown in FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the resilient insert of the Wrench of FIGURE 1. i

Turning now `to the drawing, a preferred embodiment of a cap wrench is illustrated including a pair of handles 10 and 11 having respective lobes ,or flanges 12 and 13 with an aperture therethrough for receiving a hinge pin 14. The handles 10 and 11 are enlarged intermediate the ends thereof to form respective gripping members 16 and 17 for receiving a flexible insert 18. The gripping members 16 and 17 include respective internal concave or arcuate sides 19 and 20 and respective flanges or faces 21 and 22 essentially forming segments of a cup. The handles 10 and 11 may be cast from aluminum, and the insert 18 may be formed from any easily molded material, such as rubber.

3,318,177 Patented May 9, 1967 lCe The faces 21 and 22 of the handles 10 and 11 include respective apertures 23 and 24 therein for receiving and retaining buttons 25 formed on the top of the insert 18. The arcuate sides 19 and 20 thus serve to exert force on, or squeeze, the insert While it is retained in position by the buttons 25 and the faces 21 and 22.

The insert 18 includes a central aperture 26 having a bead 27 therearound, and a radial slit 28 extending from the aperture 26 to the periphery of the insert 18 for facilitating the positioning of the insert 18 over a handset cap 29 (FIGURE l). The interior arcuate surface 30 of the insert 18 is tapered to form a good fit with the periphery of a handset cap. Travel stops 31 and 32 may be formed on the respective handles 10 and 11 to limit the force which can be applied to a cap by the handles and the insert, and to prevent the handles from pinching an operators lingers.

The insert 18 is placed over the cap 29 of a handset 33, and manual squeezing of the handles 10 and 11 causes the insert 18 to grip the periphery of the cap 29 with suliicient force to tighten or loosen the cap. When a cap is installed on a telephone handset, it generally is desired to tighten the cap sufficiently to prevent unauthorized removal thereof by hand. The buttons 25 retain the insert in the handles 10 and 11 and prevent rotation or slippage of the insert 18 during use of the cap wrench.

The insert 18 is formed to fit over the cap and thus maintains the handles 10 and 11 in the proper, slightly open, position to enable the wrench to be placed on or removed from the cap easily with one hand of the operator. The aperture 26 eliminates pressure and suction effects between the insert 18 and the cap when the wrench is placed on or removed from the cap thus facilitating use of the wrench. The bead 27 adds rigidity to the insert 18 about the aperture 26 to reduce the chances of tearing the insert in case of inadvertent opening of the wrench more than a normal amount. It thus will be appreciated that the Wrench provides: a substantially 360 degree grip on a handset cap through the interaction of the arcuate portions 19 and 20 and the insert 18. The relatively simple construction of the present Wrench provides a light weight assembly which is easy to use. The insert 18 is easily replaceable and the interior surface thereof provides a no-mar griping surface for the cap.

It will be understood that although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed and discussed, other configurations, structural arrangements and applications are possible and that the embodiment disclosed may be subjected to various changes, modiiications, and substitutionswithout necessarily departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A cap wrench comprising a pair of handles hinged at one end, each of said handles including an enlarged section having a face, an interior arcuate side, and at least one aperture, and

a substantially cup-shaped resilient insert means having protrusions extending through said apertures to couple said insert means with said handles enabling the arcuate sides of said handles to engage the periphery of said insert means, said insert means having a tapered interior ysurface for mating with the periphery of a cap whereby movement of said handles together causes said arcuate sides to exert force against the periphery of said insert means which in turn grips the periphery of said cap.

2. A cap wrench comprising a pair of handles hinged at one end, each of said handles including an enlarged section having a face,

an interior arcuate side, and atleast an aperture and substantially cup-shaped rubber insert having protrusions extending through said apertures to couple said insert with said handles enabling the arcuate sides of said handles to engage the periphery of said insert, said insert having a tapered interior surface for mating with the periphery of a cap whereby movement of said handles together causes said arcuate 7. A cap tool comprising a pair of handles hinged at one end, and substantially cup-shaped resilient means having an insides to exert force against the periphery Iof said insert enabling the insert to grip the periphery of said cap.

. A cap wrench comprising pair of handles hinged at one end, each of said handles including an enlarged section having an ining through said apertures for coupling said insert with said handles to enable the arcuate sides lof said handles to engage the periphery of said insert, said insert having a central aperture and a radial slit terior surface for mating with the periphery of al cap, said insert means being coupled with said handles near said one end thereof flor normally mainterior arcuate side and retaining means, and taining said handles in an open position allowing substantially cup-shaped resilient insert means the interior surface :of said insert means to mate coupled with said retaining means for enabling with the periphery of a cap, and to grip the periphthe arcuate sides of said handles to engage the ery Of said cap when -said handles are moved toperiphery of said insert means, said insert means getherhaving a central beaded aperture and a slit extend- 2O A Cap wrench comprising ing from said aperture to the periphery thereof, and pair lof handles hinged at one end, each of said said insert means having a tapered interior surface handles including an enlarged section having a face, for mating with the periphery of a cap. and interior arcuate side, and at least an aperture, A cap wrench comprising and pair of metal handles each including an enlarged substantially cup-shaped resilient insert means having section having a face, and interior arcuate side, and an interior Surface for mating with the periphery of at least an aperture, said handles being hinged toa Cap, having protrusions extending therefrom and gether at one end with said arcuate sides substanthrough Sad apertures fOr normally maintaining tially facing each other, and said handles in an open position allowing the incup-shaped rubber insert having protrusions extendterior surface of said insert means to mate with the periphery of a cap, and having an exterior surface engaged by said arcuate sides whereby the interior surface of said insert means grips the periphery of a cap when said handles are moved together.

9. A cap tool comprising a pair of coupled handles, and

one piece resilient means having an interior surface for mating with the periphery yof a cap, said resilient means being aiiixed to said handles for normally maintaining said handles in an open position to allow the interior surface of said resilient means to mate with the periphery of said cap and to grip the the periphery lof said cap when said handles are moved to exert force about said resilient means.

10. A cap tool comprising a pair of coupled handles, and

one piece resilient means having a tapered interior surface for mating with the tapered periphery of a extending from the aperture thereof the periphery thereof, and said insert having a tapered interior surface for mating with the periphery of a cap whereby movement of said handles toward each other causes said arcuate sides to exert force against the periphery of said insert enabling said insert to grip the periphery `of said cap.

5. A substantially cup-shaped resilient insert for a cap wrench having handles for exerting force .on the periphery of said insert, comprising a substantially cup-shaped body having an arcuate periphery which may be engaged by said handles, said body having a tapered interior surface for mating with the periphery of a cap, and having a central beaded aperture and a radial slit extending Cap, Said resilient means having a aperture therein from said aperture to the periphery of said body, and a slit through a portion thereof, and said reand silient means being affixed to said handles for norretaining means integrally formed ion a face of said mally maintaining said handles in an lopen position body for providing means by which said insert may to allow the tapered surface of said resilient means be retained by said handles, to mate with the periphery of said cap and to grip 6. Atool for gripping the cap of atelephone type handthe periphery 0f Said CHP When Said haHdleS are set for enabling secure installation of said cap and rem'OVed t0 eXert fOrCe abOut Said resilient means. moval thereof, comprising relatively movable coupled handle means including respective opposed enlarged sections each includ- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS ing an interior arcuate portion, and 1,363,316 12/ 1920 Dude 8l-3.44 resilient cup means having an arcuate periphery upon 1,913,906 6/ 1933 Swenson 81-3.4 which force may be exerted by said arcuate por- 1,954,422 4/ 1934 McIntyre til- 3.4 tions of said sections, said cup means having a 2,055,854 9/ 1936 Stibbe 81-3.44

tapered interior surface for mating with substantially the entire periphery of a telephone type hand- WLLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

set cap said cup means being affixed to said handle MILTON s' MEHR, E x a mine r. 

1. A CAP WRENCH COMPRISING A PAIR OF HANDLES HINGED AT ONE END, EACH OF SAID HANDLES INCLUDING AN ENLARGED SECTION HAVING A FACE, AN INTERIOR ARCUATE SIDE, AND AT LEAST ONE APERTURE, AND A SUBSTANTIALLY CUP-SHAPED RESILIENT INSERT MEANS HAVING PROTRUSIONS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID APERTURES TO COUPLE SAID INSERT MEANS WITH SAID HANDLES ENABLING THE ARCUATE SIDES OF SAID HANDLES TO ENGAGE THE PERIPHERY OF SAID INSERT MEANS, SAID INSERT MEANS HAVING A TAPERED INTERIOR SURFACE FOR MATING WITH THE PERIPHERY OF A CAP WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLES TOGETHER CAUSES SAID ARCUATE SIDES TO EXERT FORCE AGAINST THE PERIPHERY OF SAID INSERT MEANS WHICH IN TURN GRIPS THE PERIPHERY OF SAID CAP. 